double refraction

double refraction
the separation of a ray of light into two unequally refracted, plane-polarized rays of orthogonal polarizations, occurring in crystals in which the velocity of light rays is not the same in all directions. Also called birefringence.
[1870-75]

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Optical property in which a single ray of unpolarized light (see polarization) splits into two components traveling at different velocities and in different directions.

One ray is refracted (see refraction) at an angle as it travels through the medium, while the other passes through unchanged. The splitting occurs because the speed of the ray through the medium is determined by the orientation of the light compared with the crystal lattice of the medium. Since unpolarized light consists of waves that vibrate in all directions, some will pass through the lattice without being affected, while others will be refracted and change direction. Materials that exhibit double refraction include ice, quartz, and sugar.

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optics
also called  Birefringence,  

      an optical property in which a single ray of unpolarized light entering an anisotropic medium is split into two rays, each traveling in a different direction. One ray (called the extraordinary ray) is bent, or refracted, at an angle as it travels through the medium; the other ray (called the ordinary ray) passes through the medium unchanged.

      Double refraction can be observed by comparing two materials, glass and calcite. If a pencil mark is drawn upon a sheet of paper and then covered with a piece of glass, only one image will be seen; but if the same paper is covered with a piece of calcite, and the crystal is oriented in a specific direction, then two marks will become visible.

 The Figure—> shows the phenomenon of double refraction through a calcite crystal. An incident ray is seen to split into the ordinary ray CO and the extraordinary ray CE upon entering the crystal face at C. If the incident ray enters the crystal along the direction of its optic axis, however, the light ray will not become divided.

      In double refraction, the ordinary ray and the extraordinary ray are polarized in planes vibrating at right angles to each other. Furthermore, the refractive index (a number that determines the angle of bending specific for each medium) of the ordinary ray is observed to be constant in all directions; the refractive index of the extraordinary ray varies according to the direction taken because it has components that are both parallel and perpendicular to the crystal's optic axis. Because the speed of light waves in a medium is equal to their speed in a vacuum divided by the index of refraction for that wavelength, an extraordinary ray can move either faster or slower than an ordinary ray.

      All transparent crystals (crystal) except those of the cubic system, which are normally optically isotropic, exhibit the phenomenon of double refraction: in addition to calcite, some well-known examples are ice, mica, quartz, sugar, and tourmaline. Other materials may become birefringent under special circumstances. For example, solutions containing long-chain molecules exhibit double refraction when they flow; this phenomenon is called streaming birefringence. Plastic materials built up from long-chain polymer molecules may also become doubly refractive when compressed or stretched; this process is known as photoelasticity. Some isotropic materials (e.g., glass) may even exhibit birefringence when placed in a magnetic or electric field or when subjected to external stress.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Double refraction — Refraction Re*frac tion (r?*fr?k sh?n), n. [F. r[ e]fraction.] 1. The act of refracting, or the state of being refracted. [1913 Webster] 2. The change in the direction of ray of light, heat, or the like, when it enters obliquely a medium of a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Double refraction — Double Dou ble (d[u^]b l), a. [OE. doble, duble, double, OF. doble, duble, double, F. double, fr. L. duplus, fr. the root of duo two, and perh. that of plenus full; akin to Gr. diplo os double. See {Two}, and {Full}, and cf. {Diploma}, {Duple}.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • double refraction — n. BIREFRINGENCE …   English World dictionary

  • Double réfraction — Biréfringence Le texte apparait en double après avoir traversé le cristal de calcite. C est la double réfraction, un phénomène caractéristique des milieux biréfringents La biréfringence est la propriété physique d un matériau dans lequel la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • double refraction — dvejopas lūžimas statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. birefringence; double refraction vok. Doppelbrechung, f rus. двойное преломление, n; двупреломление, n pranc. biréfringence, f; double réfraction, f …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • double réfraction — dvejopas lūžimas statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. birefringence; double refraction vok. Doppelbrechung, f rus. двойное преломление, n; двупреломление, n pranc. biréfringence, f; double réfraction, f …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • double refraction — dvejopas spindulių lūžimas statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Anizotropinėje terpėje sklindančio šviesos spindulio skaidymasis į du spindulius. atitikmenys: angl. birefringence; double refraction vok.… …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • double refraction — dvejopas spindulių lūžimas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Anizotropinėje terpėje sklindančio šviesos spindulio skaidymasis į du spindulius. atitikmenys: angl. birefringence; double refraction rus. двойное лучепреломление …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • Double refraction micrometer — Micrometer Mi*crom e*ter, n. [Micro + meter: cf. F. microm[ e]tre.] An instrument, used with a telescope or microscope, for measuring minute distances, or the apparent diameters of objects which subtend minute angles. The measurement given… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • double refraction — noun splitting a ray into two parallel rays polarized perpendicularly • Syn: ↑birefringence • Derivationally related forms: ↑birefringent (for: ↑birefringence) • Hypernyms: ↑refraction …   Useful english dictionary

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